Top surface edges for a ski of plastic material

ABSTRACT

The top surface edges for a ski of plastic material with a foam material core are produced by first placing the structural parts of the ski in position in a mold and thereafter filling the hollow spaces in the closed mold with an expandable synthetic foam material to form the core and set the structural parts of the ski. An auxiliary strip supports the structural parts in the mold and has a flange which extends beyond the side surfaces of the mold. The flange of this auxiliary support strip is extended outwardly a greater distance from the mold side walls and has angled portions which are lodged in a groove in the top edge surface of the mold box to hold the support strip and structural parts of the ski firmly in their proper position during the foam expansion in the mold. The portions of the auxiliary support strip are severed after the ski has been molded.

The basic patent relates to a ski with top surface edges for a ski madeof a plastic material provided with a foam material core and produced ina mold into which all the structural parts such as the top and bottomsurface sheets, the top surface edges and the like of the ski areinserted, and thereupon the mold is filled with a synthetic foammaterial, such as polyurethane, which is expanded so as to form the skicore, and the top surface sheet is fixed in place by clamping parts ofthe ski which project beyond the side surfaces of the finished skibetween the upper and lower parts of the separated mold whose separationplane coincides essentially with the top surface sheet of the ski, andafter the foam expansion in the mold the parts projecting from the sidesurfaces of the ski are removed, an auxiliary strip being provided whichprojects from the side surface of the upper edge located at the sidesurface of the finished ski and aligned substantially with the topsurface sheet located at the top surface of the finished ski.

In order to maintain the top surface edges in the correct position whenthe mold is open it is necessary to locate, in the case of top surfaceedges of a non-metallic material, magnets in the lower parts of the moldalong the longitudinal side surfaces of the mold interior space at adistance therefrom, and with these magnets small armature plates areassociated which reach partly over the auxiliary strip of the ski topsurface edge, or in the case of top surface edges of steel the magnetsare inserted in the mold surfaces, and similarly for the lower edges.

With this arrangement, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,810, it ispossible to fix the top surface edges in the mold in a simple manner inthe correct position.

It is now an object of the present invention to improve these known skitop surface edges in the sense that its fixing in the open mold issubstantially facilitated.

This is obtained according to the invention in that the auxiliary striphas a projecting leg and that this leg may be inserted in a slot orgroove disposed in the separation surface of the lower part of the mold.According to an embodiment of the invention the auxiliary strip isangled off at its free end. According to another embodiment theauxiliary strip presents at a distance from its free end an offset leg.According to a further feature of the invention the leg extends from thefree end of the auxiliary strip for a greater distance.

According to the last mentioned embodiment of the invention the free endof the auxiliary strip is beveled in the direction of the leg whereinthe bevelled portion merges into the leg.

The angled portion of the auxiliary strip extends preferably over theentire length of the top surface edge. According to an additionalfeature of the invention the auxiliary strip is subdivided in thelongitudinal direction of the top surface edge by transversely extendingslots, whereby the ski top edge may adapt easily to the mold. In orderto facilitate a severing of the auxiliary strip from the finished ski aweakened area is provided at the connection points between the topsurface edges and the auxiliary strip, for example a notch.

With a form of the ski top surface edge according to the invention thecorrect positioning of these ski top edges, made of any suitablematerial, is substantially facilitated. A sliding of the top edges madeof steel relative to the fixing magnets, as it has occurred before, inU.S. Pat. No. 3,958,810, for example and the mounting of the armatureplates for holding down the top edges made of a non-magnetic material iseliminated, whereby a substantial work saving is obtained.

Further details of the invention can be taken from the followingdescription in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a first modification of an embodiment of the ski topsurface edge according to the invention, in a perspective view;

FIG. 2 shows the ski top surface edge of FIG. 1 in cross-section;

FIG. 3 shows a second modification of the embodiment of the ski topsurface edge according to the invention, in a perspective view;

FIG. 4 shows the ski top surface edge of FIG. 3 in cross-section;

FIG. 5 shows a first modification of the other embodiment of the ski topsurface edge according to the invention, in a perspective view;

FIG. 6 shows the ski top surface edge according to FIG. 5 incross-section;

FIG. 7 shows a second modification of the other embodiment of the skitop surface edge according to the invention, in a perspective view;

FIG. 8 shows a ski top surface edge of FIG. 7 in cross-section;

FIG. 9 shows a third modification of the other embodiment of the ski topsurface edge according to the invention, in a perspective view;

FIG. 10 shows the ski top surface edge of FIG. 9 in cross-section;

FIGS. 11 and 12 show each a cross-section through two different moldembodiments used for manufacturing a ski with the ski top surface edgesaccording to FIGS. 3 and 1, respectively.

With reference to the drawings the mold for manufacturing a ski ofplastic material provided with a foam material core consists of lowermold part or mold box shown at 4 in FIG. 12 and at 24 in FIG. 11, and anupper mold part or mold lid 5 and 25, respectively. The ski run edge 1and the ski bottom surface sheet 9a (run surface) are placed in the moldbox 4 or 24. The fixing of the ski run edges 1 and thus also of thebottom surface sheet 9a is obtained by magnets, not shown.

In a first embodiment of the invention, in order to fix the ski topsurface edges 2 in the mold 4, they are provided, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2and 12, with an auxiliary strip 3, wherein the auxiliary strip 3presents an angled leg portion 3a. With the auxiliary strip 3 the skitop surface edges are placed on the separation surface 4a of the mold 4and simultaneously the angled leg portion 3a is inserted in a groove 7provided in said separation surface. In this way the actual top surfaceedge 2 comes to lie in the hollow space of the mold. Now the top surfacesheet 9b of the ski can be placed, as shown in FIG. 12, on a recessedledge 2a having holes 2b therein and which forms the anchoring strip ofthe ski top edge 2, and the mold lid 5 is put on. In this way the moldlid provides, in addition to the slot 7, a holding function for the skitop surface edges 2, by clamping the edges 2 and their auxiliary strips3 between the mold lid 5 and the separation surface 4a. The leg portions3a and the grooves 7 are interlocked so that shifting of the top edges 2and their interconnected strips 3 is prevented, and the ledges 2a thensupport the top surface sheet 9b. Top edges 2 are, of course, providedon both sides of the ski. After the foam expansion of the mold thefinished ski is removed from the mold, and the auxiliary strips 3 of thetop surface edges 2 which extend from the side surfaces of the ski, areremoved. A groove 6 is formed between each edge 2 and its auxiliarystrip 3, and forms a break-line to facilitate removal of the strips 3from the finished ski.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3, 4 and 11, the recessed ledge 2a of FIG. 1is eliminated. Referring to these Figures, the mold box 24 has aseparation surface 24a provided with a groove 27, and the portion 24b ofthe separation surface 24a inwardly of the groove 27 is recessed by anamount equal to the thickness of the auxiliary strip 23 of the modifiedtop edge 22. The top edge 2 is mounted on the mold box 24 in a mannerlike the top edge 2 of FIG. 1, the strip 23 carrying an angled legportion 23a that is received in the groove 27. The ski run edge 21 andthe ski bottom surface sheet 29a are identical to the similar elementsof the first embodiment, and are similarly placed in the mold box 24.The top surface sheet 29b, however, is wider than the sheet 9b, andrests on the planar upper surfaces of the top edge 22 and the strip 23,which are flush with the portion of the separation surface 24a locatedoutwardly of groove 27. Like in FIG. 12, the top edge 22 is locked inposition against shifting by the interengaged leg 23a and groove 27. Thetop surface sheet 29b is clamped in place by the mold lid 25.

After expansion of the material placed in the mold box 24, the laterallyextending portions of the top surface sheet 29b and the auxiliary strip23 are both removed. To facilitate removal of the strip 23, a groove 26is again provided between it and its top edge 22.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a modification of the top surface edge and auxiliarystrip of FIGS. 1 and 2. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the top edge 42 isagain provided with a recessed ledge 42a, and carries an auxiliary strip43, separated therefrom by a break-line groove 46. The auxiliary strip43 carries and angled leg portion 43a, but such is positioned centrallyof the strip, rather than at the edge, as in FIGS. 1 and 2. With thisarrangement, the auxiliary strip 43 is clamped between the moldcomponents both inwardly and outwardly of the leg portion.

Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 8, a modification of the top surface edge 22and auxiliary strip 23 of FIGS. 3 and 4 is shown, constructed in amanner similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIGS. 7 and 8, thetop edge 52 carries the auxiliary strip 53, separated therefrom by thebreak-line groove 56, and the strip 53 carries a centrally positionedangled leg portion 53a.

Finally, FIGS. 9 and 10 show a top edge 62 having an auxiliary strip 63provided with an angled leg portion 63a, the latter being joined by abeveled surface 63b to the top surface of the strip 63.

What is claimed is:
 1. In combination:a mold for use in making a ski ofplastic material, said mold including a mold box having a separationsurface thereon running along both sides of a mold cavity in which topsurface edges, top and bottom surface sheets, running edges, andexpandable foam material are placed to make the ski, and a mold lid alsocarrying a separation surface, the separation surfaces of said mold lidand said mold box being clamped together when making a ski, and saidmolb box separation surface having a groove therein on each side of andspaced from said mold cavity, said groove being defined by a bottom walland a pair of spaced, parallel side walls; and a top surface edge andauxiliary strip assembly for use in conjunction with said mold formaking a ski, and comprising:an elongated top surface edge, for formingthe top edge of one side of said ski; an auxiliary strip formedintegrally with said top surface edge and projecting laterallytherefrom, said auxiliary strip being adapted to be clamped between saidseparation surfaces of said mold box and said mold lid on theappropriate side of said mold cavity, with said top surface edgedisposed in said cavity, said top surface edge and auxiliary stripassembly being adapted to support said top ski sheet; and an angled legcarried by an extending longitudinally of said auxiliary strip anddepending downwardly therefrom, said leg being positioned centrally ofsaid auxiliary strip and having parallel side surfaces, and beingreceivable within the associated one of said grooves in said mold boxseparation surface with the undersurface of said auxiliary strip inengagement with said mold box separation surface, said parallel sidesurfaces of said leg being spaced apart a distance only slightly lessthan the distance measured between said parallel groove side walls,whereby when said leg is engaged in its associated groove with theundersurface of said auxiliary strip in engagement with said mold boxseparation surface and said auxiliary strip is clamped between saidseparating surfaces of said mold box and said mold lid both inwardly andoutwardly of said leg, said top surface edge and auxiliary stripassembly is secured against lateral shifting relative to said mold box;said auxiliary strip being joined to said top surface edge by abreak-line groove, to facilitate removal of said auxiliary strip fromsaid top surface edge, after the ski is made.
 2. In the combination asrecited in claim 1, wherein said angled leg is joined to the top surfaceof said auxiliary strip by a beveled surface, angled outwardly from saidleg toward said top surface.
 3. In the combination as recited in claim1, wherein said top surface edge includes a recessed ledge on the innerside thereof, for receiving and supporting said top surface sheet withinsaid mold cavity.
 4. In the combination as recited in claim 1, whereinsaid top surface edge and said auxiliary strip assembly have uppersurfaces lying in a common plane, and upon which said top surface sheetis supported, the portion of said mold box separating surface engaged bysaid auxiliary strip being recessed to a depth corresponding to thethickness of said auxiliary strip, whereby the balance of saidseparating surface is coextensive with said upper surfaces of said topsurface edge and said auxiliary strip.